[joining] marching on
#1
afternoon time, he is in lupus form. c: i.. think i needed to add this data..? i wasn't sure if i should add it now or via pm if he would be accepted. ^^;

Desired Tier: Either could fit, so no huge preference ooc. (courtier would probably fit the most, but Trent would icly love to think he could be a knight so he'd gladly accept that too c: )
Canine NPC: None
Non-Canine NPC: None

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Trent's forms hadn't worked out well for him ever since his first change. He was hoping that it would get better over time, but so far it was a big disappointment. He had not been very social since meeting with Alder, but that had only driven his determination to find a proper home. The coywolf had decided that he would seek acceptance into Alder's home, and although he felt frightened upon approaching Cour des Miracles' borders, he knew that he needed to pull through with this. He did not want to end up some mangled body, luperci or not, starved and lying in the snow somewhere. Nobody would care, and maybe someone'd eat him. He didn't want to be eaten, if he had any say in things.

The two-year-old halted when the thick scent of wolf first entered his nostrils, feeling a shiver run down his spine in anxiety. He hadn't dared approach any other pack borders so far, and he had given up searching for the grey-and-black man's scent days ago (and had probably been too chicken to approach his pack's borders if he'd found it, anyway), but this was Alder's home. Alder had been such a sweet character that Trent hoped the rest of his pack would be much the same.

Nervosity ruled the coyote-wolf's mind as he halted, in his simplest, purest birth-form, and he lowered his body closer to the ground, tail tucked between his legs and head drooped appropriately in submission. There was no doubt in the world that Trent accepted whoever came to greet him as his superior.

After a moment of nervous silence while he waited, Trent rose his nose into the air and let out a howl. He knew that it'd been appropriate enough at his old home for visitors or newcomers to howl; how would anyone know that someone had come to visit, after all? But he did not know of the rules here. He liked to think that things were much the same as they'd been in his old home, but so far, almost nothing seemed to be much the same. After his call died down, Trent lowered his head again, waiting in appropriate submission on quivering legs.

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#2
Words 503
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Hellooo! Big Grin Yay, an Iris! If you want they could discuss the tier thing IC? There are currently less cavalry than courtiers, if that helps...


Word of the winter festival's arrival was only just beginning to filter back to the Chamberlain of the Cour des Miracles pack, and Caspa knew she was going to have to resign herself to this latest development - clearly here to stay - although she wasn't sure the news was so positive. It was a distraction for the pack, and she had pressing matters on her mind which would be disrupted by the need to spend extra time holding down the fort at home. If she was truly honest with herself though, this was no bad thing, enjoying the fact she was never far from her home and had a lot more spare time on her hands for study and thought... and more time to heal properly and rest, too, from her recent misadventure on the forest road. The sense of responsibility holding her here so far outweighed her desire to seek revenge on the one who had inflicted the damage, and she had to admit that it was probably for the best, at least until she was back at full strength. She wasn't limping much any more, but the pain if she overexerted herself was enough to immobilise her completely. There was a place on her jaw that would never heal, too, the bone and flesh had been too deeply cracked. Despite this mark, she knew she gave off a picture of supreme self-sufficiency as she slow-trotted on four legs in a stately manner through the grassland near the borders, on her way out into the world to check for activity around the forest perimeter. Instead, though, a howl rang out nearby. Her long ear twitched in the direction: a newcomer. This was a rare event, it seemed, and she was lucky enough to be so close that she would not have to hurry or call for another to replace her inferior speed. A similar but perhaps longer-striding trot took her to the source of the noise, and her sharp dark eyes raked the slimline russet form, one that reminded her a little of Terra, and probably therefore a coy-wolf like that lady. Every aspect of him showed he was not here to cause trouble, so she was almost effusive - for Caspa - in her greeting. "Peace be with you, traveller. Welcome to the borders of Cour des Miracles. How are you doing? Is there something I can help you with?" Of course, the other was here on some business or other - perhaps searching for somebody, perhaps wanting information, or perhaps, if their luck was in, he was seeking to enter their ragtag association. He didn't look like a charity case, either: one of the misfits that came here because of their tolerance when nowhere else would have them. The Court was a free and easy place, but those types tended to get sniffed out sooner or later. This canine on first appearances was a more appealing prospect, with rakish adornments and a most courteous demeanour.

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#3
Yes, that sounds fine to me! Big Grin Thank you for joining ^^

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After his call, Trent waited patiently for someone to come. Ears uncertainly pushed back and forth up until the moment that another approached him. When he exchanged a quick glance with the female, Trent could not suppress a surprised gasp to come forth — he had never seen someone like her. The coywolf quickly swallowed, trying — and failing — to hide his surprise at the other wolf's appearance. Was she a wolf? Trent had never met anything — anyone — who looked like this, and he wondered why Alder hadn't warned him for this. Or maybe he should have known? Everyone was surprised at his lack of knowledge regarding luperci, so perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised that besides the luperci, there were other strange things in this corner of the world.

Shifting his weight between his four legs, Trent listened to her eloquently spoken words. He swallowed dryly again, nervous beyond words. She seemed like a high-ranked, respected type of wolf, if she was as such, which made him feel even more nervous about his choice to have come to the borders. 'm Trent, he brought out awkwardly in an attempt to introduce himself. I met Al-Alder, and he said... Trent licked his lips uncertainly, knowing he had to make a stupid impression even though he was in good health. Then he hastily spoke in one breath, I-want-to-join. Uncertainly he looked up at the strange wolf, and then he shifted his gaze away from hers again, quickly averting it to the ground in submission.

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#4
Words: 436
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<3


Caspa was quite used to involuntarily surprised reactions such as his. For one like herself, a half desert-bred dog which mostly threw back to the sand side of the family, this was quite the unfriendly climate... probably why there were more wolves and wolf-heavy hybrids to be found... and she could only stand the harsh conditions by using her luperci skills. In addition, she was a rare thing however you looked at it. Most of the mixed-blood lines had already blended into either a non-descript mongrel dog, or become overpowered by the stronger and nearer-wild wolves and coyotes. Hers had been carefully preserved by her forefathers, but not entirely with good intentions. Still, here she was and here he was, and she knew that like everybody he'd get used to her strange looks sooner or later. It rather pleased her to come as a shock more often than not, too.


"Caspa," she returned, "and I hope we can make you welcome. Alder is here somewhere, I saw him not long ago, with his great horse." She could not help the note of resentment creeping into her tones at the memory of the frighteningly large animal, but quickly shrugged this off as best she could, hearing the nerves in the male's speech and wishing desperately that she was better at putting individuals at their ease. She gave a few wags of her silky tail, and then sat down to attempt to inject a more informal air into the proceedings. "I am sure you will be very welcome to join, Trent. Please tell me, what are your skills or specialities? Here in the Court you can choose to stand as a courtier, performing more domestic tasks, mostly, or there is the Cavalry if you prefer to pursue the physical side of life and train as a Knight." She blinked at him benignly, unaware of how off-putting her formal mode of speech could sometimes be - this was not the language of her birth, and she was always far too anxious to be precise when using it. However, for Caspa this was a truly relaxed and benign manner of speaking, for her heart was already gladdened by the sight of the decorative potential recruit, despite his air of intimidation. Hopefully he would soon learn not to take her too seriously... although she did like to think she could be worthy of the respect shown if she needed it, she was ever-mindful and approving of the pack policy to be relatively lenient upon their borders.

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#5
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Caspa, she introduced herself as. Trent nodded a couple of times as she spoke, feeling nervous and in a mild state of panic as he wanted to try his best to impress her. As she mentioned seeing Alder and that horse of his — he did not notice her negative intonation, because he was paying too much attention to himself and how he might come across to focus on the smaller details — he continued to nod eagerly and swiftly. Yes, the horse, uh, Awhorn, right? Well, it was something like that, anyway. He'd forgotten, mostly because to him, it was still hard to picture the large horse as anything more than a giant steak. Of course, he'd never tell Alder that.

Now that she seemed rather warm and welcoming, so far, Trent felt a bit like a big fraud. He'd mentioned just meeting Alder, but he feared he might've sounded as though the two of them were great chums or something like that. He only barely knew the wolf that looked like was half-raccoon, after all. But it was too late to back off now, and if knowing Alder helped him, well, he just hoped that Alder'd never find out that he used him to get in. They weren't really the biggest of chums, after all. Only vague acquaintances that talked over a fire once.

In all his thoughts, he just continued to nod when she asked him about his skills and the ranks they held. He did catch the latter bit of what she said fully, something about domestic tasks and something about knights. Trent wasn't very knightly. He was pretty much a coward. But how would he ever find someone neat if he posed as a coward? Trent swallowed dryly before he spoke again, sounding more calm and collected now, even though his heart pounded in his chest. I want to be a knight. He wanted to do domestic tasks more than anything, but he knew he'd get nowhere if he'd stay a pussy all his life. He needed to step up and do something with his sloppy self, and becoming a knight seemed the best start. Trent wasn't very good at being his domestic, pussy self anyway; he'd been groomed to be something more noble all his life, even though he'd never really become what his parents wanted from him.

With hope in his eyes Trent looked at Caspa but briefly, praying that she would take his word for it that he'd be a great impending knight. He'd completely forgotten she asked anything about skills, since he'd been so involved with his own thoughts, so worried that he'd make a lousy impression that he was actually risking making a lousy impression through that.

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#6
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Luckily for Trent, he'd found one of the most laid back bunches of canines he could have hoped to stumble across: the Court never discriminated against anyone for their species, looks, or even skills. Actions alone defined who was or was not welcome. Caspa remembered she herself had not even been asked her history upon arrival. It was as if the past was a slate to be swept clean. She hoped she had proved herself worthy since then, although the man who'd accepted her into the borders was gone now. Relieved, she realised the other had composed himself a little more and no longer seemed quite as anxious. He spoke his choice out loud with some certainty, and she nodded. "So you shall be, before long, if you stay loyal." Her tacked-on qualifier lightened by a rare but formal and eyeless smile. If he resided within these borders for long enough and did not run at the sight of luperci like some recent passers-through had almost done, and did nothing against the Court law, he would surely soon become a knight as he wished. "I will show you around and explain our law, unless you would rather head off and look for Alder at once..." she murmured, remembering that the two were friends - or acquaintances at least.

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#7
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Trent realised he'd been holding his breath when she finally answered, and he quickly released it again and gave her a grateful smile. Tail wagged weakly between his hind legs as he listened to Caspa explaining she would show him around and explain their laws. That seemed like a good idea; no matter how much he'd wished to be alone, since he was still feeling rather panicked - it was just easier to control, now - he figured knowing of this place's laws would be good. Then he knew what to do and what not to do, after all. He'd already forgotten his earlier anxiety about coming off as though he was befriended to Alder when they were no more than vague acquaintances.

Trent nodded. No, I'll find him later. Then he realised he'd nodded and said no, and that he was being rather vague again. Despite her smile and her acceptance, he did not want to make a bad impression. I mean - I'd love to uh, shown around. The words came out hasty and jumbled, and he offered a nervous smile at Caspa, then waited for his new life to begin.

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#8

Welcome to Cour des Miracles!

We are a pack of the strangest people united under a king. Explore our website for information on the pack and the rank system, so that you are better familiar with it. Now that you've join CDM, you are free to post in the pack's territory. Make sure that you post, in character, within five days!

Please visit our information portal thread to add your character to our member directory.

Need help getting started?

Check out the open threads list to see if there is anyone who would like someone to join them. You may also start your own open thread, welcome to anyone in the pack. If that isn't your cup of tea, start a thread request or check out their posts to plot with other members!

Still unsure of what to do with those threads? Check out our co-rank list to see if your character qualifies for any of the odd jobs we offer. If not, then we recommend you visit some sites for idea such as TV Tropes, among other websites. If you find yourself wanting to improve on your writing, or are still having trouble finding good things to write about, or trouble with character development, feel free to visit the mentor's forum for assistance.

#9
Words: 464
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She stood up, stretching out her forelegs carefully. She had to be delicate with her muscles, giving them plenty of rest and extension. She'd spent a few months fanatically practicing the art of meditation, last autumn, and forgot to perform the necessary amount of movement to remain in good physical form. Since then there'd been a war and a ridiculous amount of travelling, and she'd regained some strength, but she was never going to be the naturally athletic type. "He will probably be at the stables with the horses," she advised the other sagely. "I will tell you how to find them. This is a large territory and I cannot show you everything in one day, but now you are a resident of course you will have plenty of freedom and time to explore. The main thing is to decide where you would like to see first..." He was a Cavalier, so perhaps she should take him to the training grounds. However, those were a long way, almost as far as the stables and there would probably be no point, as she hardly ever used the place and didn't know a great deal about how it worked and what equipment could be found there. The most she'd ever done was throw knives at the wooden dummy targets. It would be better for another member of the Cavalry tier to explain things, or for him to figure it out for himself. Besides, the Chien Hotel was on the way and almost half the distance. "What kind of dwelling would you prefer to reside in?" she asked him with her precise English. "There is a grand old building most of us choose to make home, the Chien Hotel with many free rooms to choose from. Some have houses in a town known as Lunenberg, and others have lived in cabins further away from the more settled areas." There was a vague southwards direction they would most likely be taking, whatever answer he gave, so she started off this way now, slowly at first - almost theatrically so, taking slightly exaggerated high-stepping paces, silently marking the momentous occasion of the newcomer entering the borders for the first time. She looked back to see if he'd caught on or even notice, another bright glint in her eyes the only sign she didn't mean to be entirely serious. Of course, it was a portentous moment and worth marking, but there was no need to turn it into a celebration march. Maybe he'd just think that was her ordinary style of walking, like some kind of trained princess. The thought was amusing, but as usual her straight face did not falter for a second.

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#10
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Stables. Horses. That did sound an awful lot like Alder, Trent had to admit. He nodded feebly, figuring he'd go and see Alder soon. He nodded again at the rest of her information, not entirely sure what to do with it all, and hoped that she'd give a suggestion of where they would go first rather than asking him to choose, because he didn't know.

Luckily she asked him about what sort of dwelling he'd prefer then. He figured she meant den. She talked about 'buildings', though, and Trent figured they had to be the kind of places that he'd seen around Halifax city. He hadn't seen them at his old home, but there appeared to be quite a lot of them around here. Buildings, ah... Those are the... Square sort of, tall... Things, right? You... Live in them? Trent spoke uncertainly, and was embarrassed that he needed to ask these kind of things. It was evident that he was not used to this way of life, on two rather than on four legs, and the fact he was in his lupus form presently attested to that.

I... I think I'd like that place where the others stay. Even though Trent was not very social, he didn't want to be isolated, either. He figured he could always move, or find some den somewhere if he wanted to. Expectantly he glanced at Caspa, waiting for her to lead the way to wherever they went; he hoped that hotel she'd mentioned, so he knew where he could stay.

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#11
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The other wolf had little experience with human remains, it seemed, and the hesitant way he spoke suggested to Caspa that he'd never even been taught about them before. "Yes; they are the artificial dens built by humans, and some are tall with many chambers, like the Chien Hotel where I and most of the others live," she explained. It seemed this was enough to convince him that the hotel was the place to be, and she picked up the pace to aim for the grand old building, shooting the odd glance over her shoulder to check he was keeping up - although really there was no point because she couldn't manage more than a shuffling, gliding trot without jogging her still-sore ribs about too much. His lack of world experience was making her wonder greatly about where he came from and all those other facts that she would feel nosy inquiring about, but couldn't stop herself framing at least one question - they still had a few minutes to go before they reached the next point of interest, when she would be able to point out the outskirts of Lunenberg for his perusal at a later date. "You seem new to the human world..." she murmured; the scent of the luperci was present, but he was in his wolf form, and his words indicated lack of experience. "You were not raised a shifter, perhaps?" She was guessing now, but sure he would set her straight if she had jumped to the wrong conclusion.

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#12
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Trent didn't know much about humans at all, but he just nodded when Caspa mentioned them. They had to be something, someone, that had lived long before they'd come here and left all this stuff behind. Trent had seen it; much of it was funny-looking, but much of it was alluring. Shiny things.

When she started to move, Trent moved along, eager to get some rest in his bones but also eager to discover more of his new home. While he had someone to guide him, he figured he may as well do the latter; he could always rest later. While they moved, she suggested his newness to this world, and she could not have been more right.

No, ah... It happened, uh, something happened not that long before I got here to make me like this. He looked away, avoiding eye contact as he spoke. Trent hadn't ever told anything what had happened to make him like this, but he didn't really intend to ever do so either. Some piece of him hoped to discover one day that there were more ways than blood or body fluids to turn into one, just so that he could come up with an alternative reason for his change. His fur was pristine, after all, so a fight didn't seem logical.

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#13
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She'd heard a few rumours about the continued existence of humans, but never seen one herself. And you would have thought they would have been back to reclaim their abandoned stuff by now. But there was no telling what could go through the minds of a creature so peculiar and yet so creative. Maybe they'd moved on to a different world, finding this one too easily expendable.


She'd been right in her intuition, that he was not born Luperci. He didn't seem too willing to fill her in on the gory details, for which she was a little thankful. The tale could only be one of obscenity or violence, after all. Most people weren't so touchy about these things, so she did wonder why he was especially squeamish. Some small houses had come into sight over a rise in the ground ahead and she jerked her head towards them. "That's the outskirts of Lunenberg, a human port. There's boats and many human objects there, if you wanted to get further acquainted with the subject," was all she said, subtly changing the subject. "To the east of the packlands there's an even bigger city that makes this one look small. I don't know if you know of it. There's some strange people there," to Caspa, strange herself, there were strange people everywhere. "That is our only human settlement, but there are a few more buildings scattered around, like the stables for the horses, the odd cabin... and the hotel. It is not far now," she added, wondering how far he'd come to get here. At least he hadn't had to walk through the hardest snowfall for years, like she'd done the previous winter. Still, he was probably sick of journeying. "If you are used to a traditional wolf-pack, the way of life here may come a little as a surprise," she warned him then, although probably he'd already figured that much out for himself. The King himself had recently told her the Miracles pack had been surprising for him at first. It was a good thing they could all learn to adapt. Caspa had been raised by fairly humanised dogs, but she rarely let anything surprise her, anyway.

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#14
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Boats..? he questioned, his curiosity piqued by the foreign word. He knew buildings and houses now, and that they were human things. He wasn't sure what a port and boats were, though, and he hoped to gain explanation. Luckily she did not ask at all about the way he'd become luperci, something that visibly relieved Trent. It was evident from his expression that he didn't wish to discuss the subject, and he was glad that Caspa decided to respect that desire.

She mentioned more human buildings, but they were more isolated. With a hint of unusual curiosity Trent asked, Do most wolves live in the hotel..? Trent wasn't yet sure what to expect, but he supposed it was likely some square-looking building with lots of rooms. He'd seen a couple similar buildings when he'd visited Halifax City - or what he thought to be Halifax, anyway, since he hadn't actually run into Sebastian there - and he looked forwar to reaching the hotel. Trent was getting rather tired, and he had been on his feet for some time.

Everything in these lands had been a huge surprise to Trent so far. He had not realised that things were so different outside of his parents' pack. I think I can take a bit more surprise... he murmured, thinking back to everything that happened to him ever since he'd left his birth pack. Yep, he could probably handle a bit more.

Although he felt guilty for mooching off his new hosts right away, Trent could feel his stomach rumble and he couldn't help but ask, Do uh, do you have any caches, or — or food, uh.. He trailed off there, not sure how to phrase his question and cast Caspa a hopeful glance before averting his gaze again, hoping that he was not crossing any boundaries. He knew Alder had just carried around some dried food, and maybe they had a cache somewhere with food like that stored in it.

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#15
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"Yes... or dhow?" she questioned, using a word more familiar to herself, wondering if he'd recognise it. Once spoken the thought seemed less logical, as she was yet to meet another person who knew the words she'd grown up with. Even her own mother hadn't: it had been peculiar to her father's side. "Vessels which float across the water. Some are big enough to carry entire packs across the sea. Most are smaller for one or two at a time, fishing and so forth." He hadn't asked what they were for, but she was never one to skimp on details. Her eyes were gazing into the middle distance now, thinking of the ocean, and the lands across it which tugged at her silky fur, wanting her to follow the warm winds away from this inhospitable climate. She knew nothing of the desert lands there, though: her family lore said they were a barbaric wasteland, but she had always wanted to see for herself.


"Yes, most wolves - or dogs or coyotes and everything in between - are in the hotel," she answered him. "It is roomy and comfortable and it's also where the main kitchens are. Food store place," she added, not sure if he would have heard the humanised word. "I will show you," she finished with a small smile, amused by his priorities. She herself rarely felt hunger: it was no good thing, as she often forgot to victualise herself properly. "We keep excess from our kills there. If you like to hunt, you can smoke or dry whatever you don't want yourself. I'll show you the smoke house..." They had a lot on their itinerary already, it seemed, but ahead the outskirts of the small woodland that held the Chien Hotel were coming into view. She liked the sight of those tall trees, which hid their home from the outside. A wide path, clearly once a human road entered the trees, and she led him towards this. Doubtless this had once been quite a desirable resort, due to its luxuriously large garden area and the private road approaching its tall gate, the only easy way through the high walls that surrounded the grounds. She was moving fast again now, as fast as her rib-saving skimming trot could manage. There was nothing to see until the gateway, and she was ever-mindful of his yearning stomach.

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table image credit to Burksy@flickr
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#16
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Trent didn't show any recognition at the word dhow, and had never heard of anything by the description of the boat she mentioned. He looked taken aback to find out that there were things that floated across water, across water and even seas. And entire packs? It seemed incredulous, but then, a lot of things had seemed incredulous not so long ago. Wow, was all he thought in response, but he didn't speak this word out loud. There was definitely a wowed expression on his face, though, as she told him about boats.

It seemed like a cosy place, with near everyone in the pack living in the hotel, and Trent wondered if they'd be nice. How did hierarchy work when you were on two legs? Things seemed so different here, and Trent preferred the world he came from, where he knew exactly what the rules were and how to live by them. Here, things were new and scary, and he didn't like the change.

Trent didn't respond to anything she said, all he did was nod as he followed her. The coywolf trotted after her, following her even as they followed a strange sort of road that there were a lot of in these lands, and watched the hotel in awe as it came into view. As they moved towards it, Trent cast Caspa an apologetic smile, hoping she did not mind his silence as she explained the way things worked.

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#17
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Caspa had lived with silence, so she barely even noticed his abstinence from comment for the moment. Sometimes it was best to say little, when listening was more important. There was a beauty in words used rightly, of course. She slowed as they approached the Baroque facade of the building, allowing him to take in the sight at a more leisurely pace. Her deep dark eyes flickered towards him now and then, observing the reaction with interest. She was strangely proud of the grand old building she lived in, although her hands had had no part in the making, and neither had her species. They'd changed it a little inside, but not significantly. Her own room she had merely stripped bare, preferring emptiness and austerity.


The formidable dark-iron gates hung open, and she continued through and up the drive-way to the main doors into the large house. She turned on the threshold and sat on the top step, looking back at him. "Welcome to the Chien Hotel. You are free to roam in most of it, but some of the rooms are claimed by pack mates who may prefer to be asked first. There are many other rooms to see, including a library for books," though she doubted he knew what they were and she had trouble reading the English lettering anyway, "storage for liquor, a basement, dancing hall and of course..." Her scarred mouth curving at this, "the kitchen." She hardly needed to ask where to take him first but hesitated a moment before going inside, wondering if he wished to know anything more before they began their tour.

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table image credit to Burksy@flickr
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#18
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Trent looked around in awe, captivated by all there was to see. The coywolf followed Caspa and watched her as she stopped at the hotel's entrance. He nodded when she mentioned rooms -- and figured they were like dens -- and looked towards the entrance, wondering what was inside. Although he had no idea what liquor, basements, dancing halls or kitchens were, he nodded through all of it, eager to find out by himself in due time. Besides, Trent didn't want to make a lousy impression asking her about all of the things he did not know of like a little child. No, he'd figure it out by himself, or with the help of various individuals whom he'd each ask one question to avoid looking like someone who knew nothing at all, to save some face.

Trent wondered how he'd know what rooms were taken, but then he reasoned that he would be able to smell it. He wouldn't take any rooms that smelled like there'd been others consistently there.

Large ears piqued forward, and Trent stepped forward, feeling a little awkward on four legs in this human environment but neither feeling comfortable enough to shift (if he'd even manage). Lead the way, he offered, and decided to simply allow her to take the lead. He would follow and, if he was lucky, maybe she would answer some of the many questions her words had arisen without him having to ask about them.

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#19
She liked to think she'd inspired enough anticipation with her words: and now it was time for the reveal. Caspa marched into the hotel first receiving room, her tail wagging once or twice in its stately manner as she looked around, with Trent there she saw the place as if through fresh eyes. To her it was almost overdone: too many curving mantels and glittering ornaments, colours, carved wood and papered walls, but she knew the effect was meant to be grand and impressive by the humans who built it. Although not entirely in a state of repair, the Court wolves did make some effort to keep it clean, so the old hotel wasn't falling apart just yet.

Amongst the finery, she was used to feeling like a rather ethereal figure, not one like Strelein or Terra with a personality large enough to fill a room, or with the elegance and grace of Princess or the King. Caspa was a misfit, but with her solemn composure coupled with a tendency to sarcasm and jokes, not taking herself too seriously, she filled a role all her own. Just now she felt a little like a stern schoolteacher, wondering exactly how much Trent would need explaining to him having never seen buildings before, but he refrained from asking any more questions and she assumed everything was either self-explanatory or he would prefer to poke around and discover for himself. Caspa guessed he would know where they were going by the smell as she paced down a corridor and into the kitchen and food storage wing. The meat here was well-stored, some barrels of dried meat on shelves, a few smoked pieces hanging from the ceiling and an assortment of fresh kills arrayed on a table. Caspa circled the room once, indicating silently where to find the meat, though of course he could probably smell it all. "Make yourself a good solid meal. I cannot join you, all I can manage presently is liquid, blood or boiled juices." She could not stop a look of disgust from passing over her face - one of the few expressions that came naturally to her.
#20
maybe we can finish this thread soon? Smile

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Trent walked in behind Caspa, and initially he didn't look around a whole lot. Only when she looked at the interior, he noticed that there were lots of details and ornaments around the hotel. Trent hadn't seen anything like this before; he wasn't used to human structures, though he'd been in Halifax City. But in the city there had mostly been lots of buildings, not ones with so much detail and seemingly useless ornaments. Aloud he wondered, How was this made? Had the humans dug it somehow, or built it with their paws? Or had nature simply shaped the world differently for the humans than it had been shaped for the wolves...?

He followed her to what he assumed was the kitchen, and stared in awe at the abundance of meat, whose scent wafted in his direction and tickled his eyes. Trent had never seen quite this much food in one place. She said something about 'making a meal', an expression that Trent found rather strange. He nodded, not waiting for a confirmation before stilling the hunger that had been with him since the start of winter. He had no idea how they'd acquired all this meat in winter, but he wasn't about to ask.

Without waiting to see if Caspa would stay and watch him eat, even though she wasn't able to join him, Trent trotted over to the table, where the fresh kills were; after taking a good moment to stare at the meat hanging from the ceiling, anyway. The coywolf put his front paws on the table, then glanced at Caspa, realising that he wasn't being very social. How come you can't eat..? Lapping up blood didn't sound like enough for anyone to live off, and he wondered if she was suffering from some sort of condition that she could not manage to eat properly.

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